UNH grad to receive Medal of Honor

DURHAM — Ryan Pitts, a Nashua native and 2013 graduate of UNH, will receive the Medal of Honor for his for his courageous actions during a 2008 battle in Afghanistan.

Pitts, 28, joined the U.S. Army in January 2003 at the age of 17 under the delayed entry program. In 2005, while a member of the 173rd Airborne brigade, Pitts was deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months. His second deployment to Afghanistan began in 2007, and lasted for 15 months.

During this second deployment, Pitts was part of one of Afghanistan's bloodiest battles, known as the Battle of Wanat, which occurred on July 13, 2008.

Despite sustaining life-threatening injuries, Pitt continued to fight, throwing grenades and shooting at enemies. Nine members of Pitt's platoon were killed during that fight; Sergio Abad, Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogar, Jonathan Brostrom, Israel Garcia, Jason Hovater, Matthew Phillips, Pruitt Rainey and Gunnar Zwilling. It was this combat that led Pitts to receive the Medal of Honor.

Sgt. Pitts began a news conference at the National Guard Headquarters in Concord by reading the names of these fallen soldiers.

“While it is an honor to have been nominated for the award, it is not mine alone,” he stated. “The honor belongs to every man who fought at Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice that allowed the rest of us to return home. I have an absolute responsibility to tell our story, because there are nine men who cannot and it is their names you should know.”

Sgt. Pitts will receive his Medal of Honor from the White House on July 21, becoming the ninth living person to receive the award for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.

He has already received a Purple Heart, a Meritorious Service Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, among 16 other awards.

Despite his brave actions, Sgt. Pitts said at the news conference that he still feels as though he doesn't deserve this award.

“I never felt that I deserved it but since then, I've accepted the fact that this isn't mine. It belongs to everybody who was there that day because we did it together,” he said.

Sgt. Pitts has a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of New Hampshire at Manchester. He is also a member of the UNH Alumni Board. Pitts is currently living in Nashua and working in the computer software industry with his wife and his one-year-old son, Lucas.

“Sgt. Ryan Pitts is a remarkable young man who went above and beyond the call of duty to defend his fellow soldiers and his country,” said University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston. “After his military service he graduated with honors from UNH and currently serves on our Alumni Association board of directors, providing thoughtful perspectives to our discussions. We join the nation in recognizing his selfless commitment and heroism in battle, and are proud to call him a Wildcat.”

Sgt. Pitts left active duty in 2009. Today, he still states that the military “was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. It was the honor of my lifetime to serve with those guys and I would do it all over again.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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